Piper PA-11 accident near Turner, Montana, July 15, 2006
On July 15, 2006 at about 2:40 am local time, a Piper PA-11, registered N4706H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Turner, Montana (Harmon Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger's inadvertent activation of the airplane's brakes during the landing roll, resulting in the pilot's loss of control and subsequent nose over. A factor was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation by not briefing the passenger about the brake peddle position, and the importance of not interfering with the operation of the brakes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2006 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Turner, Montana · Harmon Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11 · all PA-11s on the register
- Registration
- N4706H · registry record · serial 11-496
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
With the pilot occupying the rear seat and the passenger the front seat, a normal landing was completed. During the rollout while the airplane was decelerating to about 20 miles per hour, the airplane's brakes locked up resulting in the aircraft nosing over and coming to rest inverted. A post accident discussion between the pilot and his passenger revealed that the passenger had his feet on the airplane's brakes during the landing roll, resulting in the nose over. The pilot stated that the accident might have been prevented if he had described more thoroughly the brake pedal position and how important it is to stay off them while landing and taxiing. Both wings, the rudder and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,650 hours in all; 720 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9U0 Turner MT
- Destination: Turner MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:00 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.